Stories
Will Bardwell
Too Big to Trail

Imagine building 26 golf courses at the height of the golf development bubble, with nine figures in public pension money — in an effort that now loses money year after year. Welcome to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Too Big to Trail
Stories
Will Bardwell
Rebirth and Reimagining in Mississippi

In theory, 12-hole designs should be cheaper to play, build, and maintain. But in the staid industry of golf course development, there’s been no rush to test the theory. The minds behind Sweetens Cove are ready to change that.

Rebirth and Reimagining in Mississippi
Stories
Will Bardwell
Rob Collins and the Long Road Out of Hell

Rob Collins had one shot. At Sweetens Cove, he took it — and he bet on himself over and over again. Somehow, impossibly, it worked.

Rob Collins and the Long Road Out of Hell
Pros
Will Bardwell
Coffee, a Dark House, and the Open

Waking up at 1:30 a.m. to watch golf isn’t conducive to work, or anything else really. But it’s become my favorite TV viewing experience of the year.

Coffee, a Dark House, and the Open
Pros
Will Bardwell
History will Judge the PGA

Through its silence in the face of Donald Trump’s racism, the PGA of America is not merely acquiescent in his behavior — it is complicit.

History will Judge the PGA

Pros

At Augusta, Memory and Forgetfulness Walk Hand in Hand

At Augusta, Memory and Forgetfulness Walk Hand in Hand

Augusta National’s failure to make a clean break with its ugly past leaves fans clinging to a flimsy distinction between the club and the tournament it hosts.

Patrick Reed is No Great Villain

Patrick Reed is No Great Villain

Bad behavior and no accountability certainly are the stuff of great villainy — and yet, Patrick Reed is no great villain. Reed isn’t one of the ones that people love to hate; they just hate him.

For Justin Thomas, the Time is Now

For Justin Thomas, the Time is Now

Justin Thomas doesn’t have to win the PGA Championship. But now at the height of his powers, and with seven majors scheduled for the next 11 months, he will never see a better chance to build his legacy.